A Day In The Life

New Sounds

While new technology keeps on coming, the folks at Steady Sounds like to keep it classic. The new Richmond record shop recently opened and was buzzing with music lovers for October’s First Friday festival. Steady Sounds offers local music lovers a calm environment where they can socialize with friends and listen to some of their favorite records. Though the shop has not had it’s official grand opening yet, local crowds have already found their way into the warming simplicity that is Steady Sounds.

A tall sunflower and a Venus flytrap greet customers when they first walk into the record store; both give testimony to the homely atmosphere. There are wooden floors and neutral lighting. Old school records from various genres of music decorate the walls of the quaint shop on the corner of Monroe and Broad Street. The shop is owned and run by two partners, Drew Snyder and Marty Key. Key is originally from New York and Snyder is a Richmond native; both owners are part-time DJ’s.

At the time of the interview Key was away in New York performing at shows, his partner Snyder was looking over the shop. Snyder’s affinity for music is as authentic as his record collection. The store’s collection spans as far back as the 1950s, with collectors records from the likes of Bob Dylan and the Beatles.
Snyder used to work for another music store in Carrytown named Plan 9 for 11 years before opening up Steady Sounds. He took the skills he gained at Plan 9 and put them to use for his self.



“It was a good experience for the most part. I'd say it made me realize I could be doing it myself, which I am now,” Snyder noted.
His story is an inspiring one. A man who believes in good friends and good music. Perhaps the simplicity of his dream coincides with the shop’s design. Snyder’s personality was anything but busy as he explained his reasons behind opening the shop. He chose Richmond because he likes a lot of what the area has to offer.
“It's a small yet diverse city with a lot of things going on arts & music wise and still a relatively cheap place to live,” said Snyder, A combination that’s hard to find these days.

Snyder and Key funded the shop with the help of friends. Getting help from banks was a tedious task with no rewards. Snyder noted that banks just weren’t helping small stores like his at the time. Luckily Snyder and Key have friends that have businesses of their own and were happy to help support their record store dreams. Steady Sounds is set to have its grand opening in two weeks.

SOURCE
Drew Snyder
804-308-2692

Profile

On any given night, more than 750,000 homeless people are on the streets. Virginia Commonwealth University student, Cristina Wood tries to fight those numbers. While many students have hectic lifestyles, Wood finds time in her schedule to give back. Wood is a transfer student to VCU from the University of Virginia. She made the switch to VCU because she wanted to change her major to Journalism, a major that UVA doesn’t offer. Also Wood felt the diversity of the VCU campus was something she wanted to be a part of. Wood has been working with an organization designed to help the homeless for the past three summers. She found out about the organization, “Feed Our Children Now” through a Warped Tour rock concert and has been involved ever since.

“I was on the warped tour website a few years ago and saw that ‘Feed Our Children Now’ was one of the sponsors so I just looked into it. I had volunteered with the homeless in the past so I knew it was something I wanted to continue helping with.” Wood first got involved with helping the homeless in high school by tutoring kids at a shelter. She has gained gratitude helping those in need, and it’s almost become a second nature. Wood along with her good friend Caitlin Kirby decided to lend a hand at the Warped Tour concert and they’ve been doing the same for several summers now. “Cristina talked me into the idea but I’m really glad that she did; She’s always been a helping person” Kirby noted. This past summer Wood and Kirby visited seven different cities.

With “Feed Our Children Now” over the summer, Wood had to set up tents and tables every day at each venue on the tour so that people could bring canned food and clothes for donation to a shelter in the area. One of the biggest donations sites was Camden, New Jersey, the “Feed Our Children Now” organization’s headquarters. “It was a lot of work,” said Wood. “Since Caitlin and I were driving up and down the east coast each night to get to the venues we were always exhausted; I had to be ready and in the right city by 7a.m. every morning, then spend the whole day in the sun collecting donations and selling shirts, then I had to take everything down and do it again the next day in another city.” The daily activities were quite a task, but Wood says she wouldn't trade the experience for anything. When asked if Wood would be interested in working with the organization for another summer, she was elated at the idea. “Yes!” “I loved it; I hope to do it for the fourth year next summer. I love traveling and seeing old friends and making new ones in different states. Plus it's a great feeling knowing that I’m helping people.”

Wood recently applied for an internship at Virginia Supportive Housing-a shelter for the homeless with the offer of permanent housing. “Once you're admitted in, you are never forced to leave. I’m doing public relations work for them in the office and I really enjoy it.” Wood’s story is a true testimony of charity.

Cultur x Goldsprints

-booki

A Cultur Summer

This is Not a Tour: A Cultur Summer Road Trip - Day 1 & 2 from Cultur on Vimeo.

Cultur makes waves in RVA

“We wanted to let people know that we were a reputable force.”
- Phil Rinthalukay

Richmond – It’s a chilly afternoon on Hull and 3rd Street. 24-year-old Phil Rinthalukay is expecting some packages. He first started cycling when he came to VCU back in 2003 and now he’s in the middle of relocating to the bigger building next door. Construction workers are in and out of the two buildings, adjusting wiring and remodeling the wall structures.

“ It’s a Nemesis Project …this model runs for about a g,” says Rinthalukay.
He’s putting together the saddle (seat) and handlebar grips for a freestyle fixed gear bike when a deliveryman comes to the door.


Rinthalukay is the co-owner of ShopCultur.com, an online-based bike shop that is quickly making a name for itself across the globe. The idea for the site came from an online bike forum that he also had a hand it creating named Trick Track.
After a monumental road trip this past summer from Austin, Texas to New York City, the brand has made some new friends and established key connections with several top-selling companies such as Mishka, Velocity and SE Bikes. With new possibilities being more accessible than ever, Cultur is opening its first location in the Richmond area and it may well be the first of its kind.

What made the Cultur summer road trip such a big moment was the story behind it. Rinthalukay says that the ShopCultur.com site had not been up and running for more than two days when they got the idea for the trip. They put together a team and the initial plan was for him and his friends to fly out to Austin, ride around the area, party hard and shoot film. They followed this process from Austin, Tx to Baton Rouge, La to Atlanta, Ga. to Baltimore to Philadelphia and finally to New York City.
Along the way many people found out what Cultur was about and joined them on their journey. Rinthalukay and his friends paid for the trip completely out of pocket and it cost them close to $5,000. When asked if Rinthalukay thought the trip was worth the cost he simply answered, “Yes.” It gave them the opportunity to meet a lot of good cyclists and it put them on the map with a lot of major companies.

If you’ve ever visited the city of Richmond there’s a good chance you’ve spotted cyclists. For many residents bicycling is a means of transportation, but a closer look unlocks a subculture of bike enthusiasts.

Common Bike Types

Mountain Bikes are designed of "off road" riding and are great for use on back country trails, hills and ravines. Mountain bikes are also popular as all purpose bikes for use on roads, paved and crushed stone trails as well as rugged trails due to their durability.
One of the more important considerations when choosing a mountain bike is the type of suspension that is best for your needs. There are rigid mountain bikes which have no suspension, hard tail mountain bikes which have front suspension but no rear suspension and full suspension models.

Road Bikes are designed for use on roads, tracks and well maintained bike trails. For many years this category was referred to as 10 speed bikes. Today most of these bikes have 3 sprockets in front and multiple sprockets in back so they normally have more than 10 speeds. There are also a number of different types (or sub categories) of road bikes such as Racing Bikes, Touring Bikes and Sport Bikes.

Hybrid Bicycles are a cross between different bicycle types. The most common reference is usually the cross between a mountain bike and a road bike. These bikes usually have tires that are thinner than a mountain bike but wider than a typical road bike (700x35c is common), the handle bars are more like a mountain bike and you sit up straighter than on a road bike. Some hybrid bikes are designed for comfort and all purpose use and many come with shock absorbers (front and/or under the seat) and comfortable seats.

Recumbent Bicycles (also referred to as bents) take advantage of reduced wind resistance, and are fast and comfortable. Recumbent riders sit in a reclined position as opposed to the upright or forward leaning positions of more traditional bikes. Bents are becoming much more popular than in the past and are suited well for touring, bike trails (not rugged mountain trails) and roads.

There are many different configurations of recumbent bikes. There are Short Wheel Base (SWB) where the pedals are above the front wheel, Long Wheel Base (LWB) where the pedals are behind the front wheel, Above Seat Steering (ASS) where the handlebars are usually about chest high, and Under Seat Steering (USS) where the steering is under the riders seat (less common). There are also tandem recumbents in addition to recumbent trikes with the double wheels in front or in back.

BMX & Freestyle Bikes BMX bikes are designed for off road racing on dirt tracks, Freestyle and Jump Bikes (in the same general category) are designed for performing stunts and tricks and jumping ramps. These are usually (but not always) 20 inch bikes with upright handlebars, knobby tires, rear hand brakes and, in some cases, additional front brakes and pegs for stunts.

Cruiser Bicycles (or beach cruisers) are the old style or classic bikes with balloon tires and upright seating position that were popular in the US until around the late 50s. These bikes are comfortable, sturdy, durable and can handle a variety of different terrains. Most cruisers are heavy and usually have just one speed (the downside to their durability).

What sets Cultur apart from other bike shops is the fact that it caters specifically (but not solely) to the emerging scene of fixed gear freestyle bicycling--a mash up between track bike riding and freestyle BMX. Their company has a grassroots foundation and the cycling community respects it.

Rinthalukay and Kyle McConnell run the shop with some help from their fellow riders, family and friends. They will be sponsoring a Goldsprints event with prizes this Saturday at Belly Timber Tavern.

A Cultur Summer Road Trip



SOURCES

Phil Rinthalukay
804-549-6576
ShopCultur TrickTrack

John Emanuel
jemanuel@vcu.edu

Ernest Gamboa
757-201-2850

http://www.watchcultur.com/

http://www.mishkanyc.com/home

http://www.sebikes.com/

http://www.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

http://www.about-bicycles.com/Bike-Articles.html

http://bellytimbertavern.com/

Feasible Fashion

Urban dictionary, a web-based dictionary for today’s slang and phrases defines Hipsters as “a subculture of men and women typically in their 20's and 30's that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, and have a deep appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity, intelligence, and witty banter.”

Although "hipsterism" is really a state of mind, it’s often intertwined with a distinct fashion sense. Hipsters reject the attitudes of mainstream consumer’s and are often seen wearing vintage and thrift store inspired fashions. With a growing number of thrift stores such as Fantastic Thrift and Rumors in the Richmond area, students are taking advantage of the more tangible threads.

Some people may view thrift store shopping, or “thrifting” as an activity reserved for the financially less fortunate. However, many VCU students are finding the benefits of shopping like a hipster. Fashion Design major Ariel McCalla has been a thrifter for four years; “I thrift because I like finding good quality wardrobe pieces for a great deal! Where else can you buy a real fur coat for 40 dollars, or an Italian leather belt for five dollars?”

McCalla’s reasoning is similar to many other college students’. Thrifting is just more logical. You can find great outfits for half the price you would pay at retail stores. It’s the optimum way to upgrade your style for a low price. For many students who are strapped for cash, the hipster trend is becoming a way of life.



Thrift v. Retail

Retail
Shirt: $20-$50
Jeans: $40+
Jacket: $50+
Boots: $100+

Thrift
Thrift
Shirt: $8-$20
Jeans: $10+
Jacket: $30+
Boots: $30+









Name: Shanice White
Age: 20
Hometown: Blacksburg, VA
Major: Fashion Design

J: Would you consider yourself a hipster or a thrifter?
S: Honestly, I don’t think there is a difference between the two. I think that the two go hand in hand.

J: Why do you thrift?
S: I thrift shop to find unique pieces for low prices. As a seamstress, I also shop for cheap fabric and notions.

J: What kind of items do you usually look for?
S: I look for shoes, tops, skirts and dresses.

J: Any favorite spots?
S: I frequent Fantastic Thrift.

J: What makes it your favorite?
S: I go to fantastic thrift because it’s the closest to campus and they have good prices. It’s located at 1914 W. Main St. and I usually spend less than $10 each visit.

J: Would you encourage other college students to try it? If so, why?
S: I would encourage other students to thrift because it’s a cheap way to find interesting clothing without spending major money.

J: Are there any Pros/Cons to thrifting?
S: Pros: Low cost, interesting pieces, environmentally friendly
Cons: Lower possibility of finding exactly what you want